Order in the House November 27, 2006

At least the Information Minister is honest in admitting that voters would not be able to take the conduct of some Parliamentarians who hog the mikes (and cameras), what with their shouting, screaming and haranguing.

With live telecasts, one would also be able to note the hundred-odd MPs, out of a total of 219, who couldn’t even be bothered to turn up.

Sadly, the Prime Minister is one of those leading absentee MPs!

RTM Will Not Telecast Parliamentary Proceedings Live
KANGAR, Nov 27 (Bernama) — Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) will not telecast the parliamentary proceedings live despite constant requests by the Opposition, Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin said Monday.
He said the decision was made in the interest of safeguarding harmony in the country because besides the high cost involved, the people would surely not be able to accept the behaviour of the MPs and the conduct of the proceedings which had political and racial overtones.
“The time has not come for RTM to telecast the parliamentary proceedings live because our society has not reached a mental maturity where it is insensitive to racial issues,” he told reporters after a gathering organised by the Perlis Special Affairs Department here.
He said considering that the position of the political parties in the country still hinged on the strength of each race and not on the overall unity of Malaysians, some form of control like the Sedition Act and the Internal Security Act were still needed.
As such, he reminded the young generation to prepare to become future leaders who were acceptable to the country’s multiracial society.
The young generation, he said, must be broad-minded, rational and open-minded because the country’s history had showed that the quality of leadership was not based on the strength of just one race.– BERNAMA